Approximately 40 pages
New to the group? Please come even if you haven't had a chance to read.
Étienne Gilson (1884–1978) was one of the great Catholic philosophers of the twentieth century — Professor of Medieval Philosophy at the Sorbonne and the Collège de France, and a lifelong scholar of Aquinas. C.S. Lewis credited Gilson's work with helping to convince him of the truth of Christianity.
The Spirit of Mediaeval Philosophy began as Gilson's Gifford Lectures at Aberdeen in 1931–32. His central argument is that medieval philosophy is not a pale imitation of Greek thought but something genuinely new: the spirit of Christianity transforming the Greek tradition from within, and producing for the first time a coherent metaphysical vision in which existence itself — not merely essence — is the primary reality. For Gilson, to understand Aquinas is to understand that revolution.
The Thomistic Reading Group at St. Vincent Ferrer meets roughly every two weeks to read and discuss texts in the tradition of Saint Thomas Aquinas — including Aquinas himself, his commentators, and scholars who have engaged seriously with the Thomistic intellectual heritage.
Founded in the autumn of 2024 and moderated by a Dominican friar of the parish, the group welcomes anyone drawn to the intersection of faith and reason. No prior background in philosophy or theology is required.
To join the mailing list or ask a question, write to gregorymcniff@gmail.com. The group is free and open to all. For parish information visit svsc.info.
We meet in the Parlors — the red brick building on the corner of 65th Street and Lexington Avenue, immediately next to the Church of St. Vincent Ferrer.
New York, NY 10065